Method and apparatus for handling fibrous materials



METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed Aug. 29, 1966 p 1968 J. A. PERSHING 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. JflH/V 4 flaw/m6 BY QMMMA ATTORNEYS Sept. 24, 1968 J. A. PERSHING METEOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed Aug. 29, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR.

Jew/v A. films/1mm ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,402,833 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING FIBROUS MATERIALS John A. Pershing, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Corning Fiberglas Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 575,633 4 Claims. (Cl. 214--8.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Method and means for handling fibrous mat material without harming the mat formation by inserting a plurality of fingers into the material along nontear lines, moving the engaged material to a new position, and retracting the fingers just before the material reaches the new position to permit the material to settle into place without stress between the material and the fingers due to the reversal of travel of the fingers. This further permits an unexpectedly large increase in the number of moving operations per period of time because there is no requirement for a stop or rest at the deposition end of the cycle.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for handling fibrous material in general and more particularly to methods and apparatus for handling stacked mats of fibrous materials without tearing or otherwise disturbing the integrity of the fibrous mats.

While integrated masses of fibrous materials, such as glass fibers held together with a binder, have suflicient integrity to cause them to retain their desired shape, the handling of such masses of fibrous materials presents problems in separating one mat from another mat or a stack of mats and in destroying the integrity or tearing the mat being separated from the storage stack for other uses. The problem becomes particularly acute when the mats of fibrous material must be separated and handled in an automated process. For example, in assembling air filters the mat or air filter media usually arrives at the assembly point in a stacked relationship with other mats. Because there are many loose fibers of a stiff nature the stacked filter media has a tendency to stick together. When separating a single water or mat of filter media from the stack to place it on a conveyor or other deposition point so that the wafer may be moved to a mechanism for inserting the media in a filter container, the machinery of the past has a tendency to remove more than one wafer or to tear or otherwise damage the wafer or mat being removed from the stack.

' Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide new and improved method and apparatus for handling fibrous material.

It is a further object of this invention to provide new and improved method and apparatus for handling fibrous material wherein the mat of fibrous material may be picked up and delivered to another station or deposition point without damage to the fibrous material.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for handling fibrous material in which a single mat or water of fibrous material may be separated from a stack of such mats without damage to the separated wafer or mat or to the remainder of the mats in the stack.

In accomplishing the above objects the invention features apparatus for handling fibrous material which comprises a plurality of finger elements, means for positioning the plurality of finger elements adjacent a piece of fibrous material, and means for inserting each of the finger elements into the fibrous material at an angle with "ice respect to the surface of the material. The insertion starts at a single point and continues along a predetermined line without lateral motion of the finger with respect to the fibrous material. Means are then utilized for moving the plurality of fingers and the engaged material to a new placement or deposition point and the finger elements are retracted along their predetermined lines of insertion. Each of the finger elements advantageously comprises an arcuate element. The predetermined line of insertion follows an arc of a circle having the same radius as the arc of the arcuate element. The inserting and retracting means thus would advantageously comprise a shaft means mounted for rotation at the center of the circle, means for connecting an arcuate element to the shaft, and means for rotating the shaft. The positioning and moving means may include plate means supporting the plurality of finger elements on one side thereof, the plate means having aperture means formed therein to permit insertion of the finger elements therethrough to engage fibrous material adjacent to the other side of the plate means.

The invention also features a method of handling fibrous material which comprises the steps of engaging the fibrous material by inserting a plurality of finger elements into the material at an angle with respect to the penetrated surface, continuing the insertion of each finger element along a predetermined line from the insertion point without lateral motion of the element with respect to the material, and retracting each of the finger elements along the predetermined line of insertion. As noted above the fingers are preferably formed into arcuate elements which define the line of insertion as an arc of a circle having the same radius as the arc of the arcuate element to thereby positively engage the fibrous material. The method may further include the step of moving the engaged material to a new position and retracting the finger elements just before the material reaches the new position to permit the material to settle into the new position without stress between the material and the finger elements.

Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become apparent when the following description is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a first embodiment of apparatus illustrating the teachings of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of aparatus illustrating the teachings of this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of apparatus embodying the teachings of this invention illustrating the pick-up of .a mat from a stack of mats and deposition of the mat in a new position; and

FIGURE 4 is a schematic wiring diagram of a control circuit suitable for use with the apparatus of FIGURE 3.

It has been found that an integrated mass of fibrous material may be pickel up, moved or otherwise handled through the engagement of the fibrous material by inserting a plurality of finger elements into the material at an angle with respect to the penetrated surface and continuing the insertion of each finger element along a predetermined line from the insertion point without lateral motion of the element with respect to the material. If the finger elements are retracted along the predetermined line of insertion after the material is moved the integrity of the mat is not disturbed.

Referring to FIGURE 1 there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of this invention for handling a mat 10 of fibrous material. A finger element 20 is formed in an arcuate shape having a predetermined radius. A connecting element 21 mounts the finger element 20 for rotation on a shaft 22. The connecting element 21 spaces the arcuate element from the center of shaft 22 at the predetermined radial distance of the are formed by the finger element 20. The shaft 22 is journaled for rotation in bearing or journal means 23 which is mounted upon a support plate 25. An aperture means 26 is formed in the support plate to allow the penetration of the finger element 20 therethrough into the mat 10. A driving means 27, which may be electrically or air driven, is operative to rotate the shaft 22 in one direction to insert the finger element 20 into the mat 10 and to rotate the shaft in the opposite direction to retract the finger element 20 when it is desired to disengage the fingers and deposit the mat 10.

It will be noted that the tip of the finger element 20 enters the mat of fibrous material 10 at an angle with respect to the penetrated surface. Since the curvature of the element 20 is the same as the arc of the circle of the predetermined line of insertion, the finger element 20 is inserted into and withdrawn or retracted from the mat 10 along a single predetermined line or arc so that there is no lateral motion of the finger element 20 with respect to the mat 10. Therefore, there is no tearing or disturbance of the integrity of the mat 10 by the finger element 20. Since the finger element 20 is arcuate, .a rotation of the shaft 22 causes the finger element 20 to penetrate down into and then up near the penetrated surface again thereby positively engaging the mat 10, holding the mat against the support plate 25. The number of finger elements required to handle a particular mat depends upon the size, weight and integrity of the mat involved. It may be possible to utilize only one of the finger elements 20. However, in most instances it is desirable to utilize a plurality of finger elements 20 to distribute the load over as much of the mats as possible.

Referring to FIGURE 2 there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of the teachings of this invention in which a straight finger element 30 is mounted on a piston 31 which is slidably received in cylinder 32. The cylinder 32 is held in position by a mounting bracket 33 which is secured to the support plate 25. Air tube connection 35 and 36 permit the insertion and withdrawal of the'finger element 30 by applying fluid pressure to the tubes alternatively. The finger element 30 enters the mat 10 at an angle with respect to the penetrated surface of the mat 10 and continues along a predetermined line of insertion without lateral motion with respect to the mat 10. This allows the engagement of the mat 10 by the finger element 30 without lateral motion and thus without damage to the integrity of the mat 10. A plurality of the finger elements 30 may be utilized to distribute the pick-up points over the surface of the mat and to enable a better and more positive handling of the mat 10.

When utilizing straight finger elements 30 it may be desirable to have a number of finger elements inserted into the mat in a direction opposite to that shown in FIGURE 2 to preclude the possibility of the mat sliding off straight finger elements all inserted in the same direction.

Referring to FIGURE 3 there is illustrated the use of the fibrous material handling apparatus in an automated process Although a horizontal stack of the mats 10 is shown, it is to be noted that the invention is applicable with a vertical stack, with single mats moved along a conveyor, etc. The horizontal stack of mats 10 is ad vanced toward the support plate 25 by a conveyor 40. The conveyor 40 preferably has collapsable or flexible fingers 41 which maintain the mats 10 in the proper spaced relationship and insures that the mats are advanced to the proper positions for pick up. The conveyor 40 may be driven by a conveyor motor 42.

Air cylinders AC1 and AC2 having fingers insertable into the sides of the mats 10 are utilized to hold or restrain the mats in a desired position during particular parts of the operation. Arms 28 and 29 of a plate positioning machine 44 are connected to the plate via bracket means 28a and 290, respectively. Such plate positioning machinery is commercially available and will not be illustrated in detail here.

In operation the plate positioner 44 moves the support plate 25 to a pick-up position adjacent the end mat of the stack 10. Upon reaching the pick-up position the finger elements 20 are inserted into the end mat in the manner described hereinbefore. After engagement of the mat the plate positioner 44 moves the plate to peel the end mat away from the stack 10 and then deposits the mat on the conveyor 45, the deposition position of the plate 25 shown in dotted lines above the receiving conveyor 45. The fingers 20 are preferably retracted just before the plate 25 reaches the deposition position. The mat 10 is then held in position against the plate 25 by the momentum of the plate and the mat 10. When the plate reverses direction the mat 10 is deposited upon the conveyor 45 Without stress being applied to the mat 10 because of the reversal of the direction of travel of the plate 25 while the finger elements 20 are still engaged with the mat 10. The cycle is then repeated.

In order to aid in the removal of the end mat from the stack of mats 10 an air cylinder AC1 is utilized to insert finger means into the edge of the second mat of the stack thereby holding the mat in position while the end mat is being removed. After the end mat is removed the finger of the air cylinder AC1 is retracted, freeing the stack for advancement of the second mat into the end mat position for the next pick-up by the finger elements 20. A second restraining or holding means may be utilized comprising an air cylinder AC2 having similar finger means for insertion into the edge of the end mat. This assists in holding the end mat 'm pick-up position until the support plate returns. The air cylinder AC1 then causes its extending finger holding means to be retracted freeing the end mat for pick-up by the finger elements 20". Such restraining means may be used along the side edges in addition to or in lieu of along the top edges of the mats.

Any suitable means =ay be utilized to cause the conveyor 40 to index forward the thickness of one mat when the end mat is removed. For example, an electric eye may sense the removal or the absence of the end mat and energize the conveyor motor 42 to cause the conveyor to index forward one position.

Referring to FIGURE 4 there is illustrated a schematic diagram of a control circuit which is suitable for use with the apparatus of FIGURE 3. It will be noted that a numbered line circuit diagram has been utilized. The components can be readily located by reference to the line number where the component is positioned. Further,

contact switching operations may be noted without designating a mechanical tie between the contact and the actuating means. The contacts may be located at any convenient position and the cross reference between the actuating means and its associated contacts is easily accomplished by noting in the right-hand margin of the drawings the reference character of the actuating means, for example, EER, an electric eye relay, adjacent to line number 51, the line in which the contact actuating means EER appears. 'FOllOWing the reference character there are noted the lines numbers in which E-ER contacts close when caused to do so by the actuating means, i.e., line number 50. Back'contacts that are associated with the actuating means are noted by underlining the line number in which they appear in the drawing. For example, back contacts BER appear in lines E and Q.

Referring again to FIGURE 4 an electric eye means EE located in line 51 may be utilized to energize an electric eye relay EER in response to the absence of a mat in the end mat position. This causes contacts EER to close in line 50, energizing the conveyor motor 44 to advance the stack of mats 10 by running the conveyor 40 until the electric eye means senses a mat in the pickup position. When the mat is in the pick-up position the electric eye relay 'EER is deenergized opening contact E ER in line 50 and deenergizing conveyor motor 44.

Limit switch LS1 in line 52 is connected to energize a limit switch relay LSRl whenever the support plate 25 is sensed by the limit switch to be in the pick-up position. The energization of relay LSRl closes contacts LSRl in line 54 energizing the inserting drive for the finger elements 20. Limit switch LS2 in line 53 detects the passing of the support plate past the point just prior to the deposition point for the mat on conveyor 45. Closure of limit switch LS2 energizes limit switch relay LSR2 in line 53 closing contacts LSR2 in line 55 to energize the retracting portion of the inserting and retracting drive to retract the finger elements from the mat 10.

The restraining or holding means air cylinder AC1 is controlled by ba'ck contacts EER of the electric eye relay in line 56. The back contacts EER open when the electric eye senses that there is no mat in the end mat or pick-up position. This deactivates air cylinder AC1 causing its restraining fingers to be retracted. When the conveyor 40 has indexed forward to provide a mat in the pick-up position back contacts EER close activating air cylinder AC1 and causing the insertion of the holding or finger elements into the second mat from the end to hold that mat while a pick-up operation is being performed. The restraining or holding means AC2 for the end mat is activated to insert its holding or restraining fingers into the edge of the end mat in response to two conditions. LSRI back contact in line 57 must be closed to show that the pick-up plate is not in the pickup position. The LSRl contact is actuated by the energiz-ation of the LSRI relay in response to the limit switch LS1 sensing the position of the pick-up plate 25. Further, back contact EER must also be closed to indicate that a new mat is not being indexed into the end mat or pick-up position. Accordingly, the restraining or holding means AC2 holds the end mat in position after it has been indexed in the pick-up position until the support plate 25 arrives from a previous deposition.

There has thus been described apparatus for handling stacked mats of fibrous material which comprises support plate means, a plurality of finger elements mounted on the plate means, means for positioning the plate means in pick-up position adjacent an end mat of the stack of mats, means for inserting each finger element into the end mat at an angle with respect to the insertion surfaces of the mat and continuing the insertion along a predetermined line from the point of insertion without lateral motion with respect to the mat, means for moving the plate means and the engaged mat toward a mat depositin position, and means for retracting the finger elements along the predetermined line. The finger ele ments are advantageously the arcuately formed elements described hereinbefore having a predetermined radius. Means are shown for activating the retracting means for the finger elements before the plate means reaches the mat depositing position to avoid stressing or hangup of the mat on the finger elements 20. Means are further shown for retaining a second mat adjacent the end mat of a stack when the end mat is being withdrawn from the stack. The restraining means are disabled and the stack is indexed toward the pick-up position in response to the removal of the end mat. Means are also shown for holding the end mat in the pick-up position until a support means arrives to hold the end mat in place during pick-up.

The method and apparatus described hereinbefore permits the handling of fibrous material without destroyin the integrity or damaging the mats in any form. Further, the method and apparatus illustrates a means for separating an end mat from a stack of mats without damaging either the mat being separated or the remaining stack.

In conclusion it is to be noted that the embodiments disclosed and described herein are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting in any sense. The embodiments described serve merely to illustrate the spirit and scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A method of handling fibrous mat material comprising the steps of engaging said fibrous material by inserting a plurality of finger elements into said material at an angle with respect to the penetrated surface, continuing the insertion of each finger element along a predetermined line from the insertion point without lateral motion of the element with respect to the material, moving said engaged material to a new position, and retracting each finger element along the predetermined line of insertion just before said material reaches said new position to permit said material to settle into said new position without stress between said material and said finger element.

2. Apparatus for handling stacked mats of fibrous material comprising support plate means, a plurality of finger elements mounted on said plate means, means for positioning said plate means in pick-up position adjacent an end mat of said stack of mats, means for inserting each finger element into said end mat at an angle with respect to the insertion surface of said mat and continuing the insertion along a predetermined line from the point of insertion without lateral motion with respect to said mat, means for moving said plate means and said engaged mat to a mat depositing position, and means for retracting each finger element along said predetermined line just before said plate means reaches said mat depositing position.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 which further includes means for restraining a second mat adjacent said end mat of said stack When said end mat is being withdrawn from said stack and means for disabling said restraining means and for indexing said stack toward said pick-up position in response to the removal of said end mat.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 which further includes means for holding said end mat in said pick-up position until said support plate means arrives to hold said end mat in place.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,295,163 2/1919 Henricks.

1,763,685 6/1930 Borchert 2l4-61 2,604,351 7/ 1952 Rose 29461 2,667,420 1/ 1954 Meulemans 214-8.5 3,285,649 ll/ 1966 Harton 29461 ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner.

G. F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

